Remote jammers?

Well-Known Member

Was at a wine estate in Stellenbosch recently and noted a guy in the parking lot with a cellphone in one hand and a cloth in the other pressing whatever was under the cloth every time someone parked their car and checking out the cars and noting the licence numbers. The guy would sometimes raise his hand with the cloth and this was only done the moment someone left their parked car. After about half an hour of observing this from afar, I approached the guy and asked him what he was up to. I could see the outline of something rectangular under the cloth about the size of a largish gate remote, but the guy was not interested in revealing what he had under the cloth and made a quick exit in a well-to-do 4x4.
What was this guy up to? I have my suspicions that he was remote jamming, but I am somewhat concerned about the individual noting number plate details. Are criminals able to use the remote signals to create clone keys?

Expert Member

Cloning keys less doable in modern cars, as they also use rfid chips in conjunction with remote unlocking. To drive the car you need "both".
Cloning is technically doable/viable, but you'd have to be closer to the remote, and need a lot more time.

Frequency blocking is easier. Likely they were blocking remotes so they could go through peoples cars, although the writing down the licence numbers sounds more like a private detective looking for someone specific, just theorizing though.

Honorary Master

Was at a wine estate in Stellenbosch recently and noted a guy in the parking lot with a cellphone in one hand and a cloth in the other pressing whatever was under the cloth every time someone parked their car and checking out the cars and noting the licence numbers. The guy would sometimes raise his hand with the cloth and this was only done the moment someone left their parked car. After about half an hour of observing this from afar, I approached the guy and asked him what he was up to. I could see the outline of something rectangular under the cloth about the size of a largish gate remote, but the guy was not interested in revealing what he had under the cloth and made a quick exit in a well-to-do 4x4.
What was this guy up to? I have my suspicions that he was remote jamming, but I am somewhat concerned about the individual noting number plate details. Are criminals able to use the remote signals to create clone keys?

Executive Member

He was certainly new to this game. I doubt it was a mobile phone, more likely a code capturing device, which you can buy via mail order in England. A bit silly of him to capture multiple codes since the device is intended to write the captured code on a hitherto uncoded transmitter so it can be used

Well-Known Member

My gf and I first checked it out to confirm our suspicions, then reported it to the front desk. The front desk lady (cashier?) came with when I confronted the suspicious individual (who started off by saying he was picking up someone, and quickly moved on to "you racist" when I asked him to show us what he was hiding under his cloth and what he was up to looking at everyone's cars after they parked, after which he drove off). I informed other staff in the restaurant side, but they took it as a joke, so I left it.

The guy was on his cellphone the whole time I was checking him out (30 min), and would raise his other hand with some or other device concealed under a cloth every time someone left their parked car. The security guard said the guy had been there for ages, and he had just assumed that the suspect was waiting for someone.

I have a licence plate number, so I could report it at SAPS, but not convinced this would achieve anything other than waste my time.

Expert Member

I have noticed at the N1 shopping center a similar thing. What they do is take the registration numbers down and sent the information to someone else. That person will then come and go through the vehicle at a convenient time if the vehicle did not lock properly. This also give them a record of vehicles that does not lock with this immobilizer as you can't do it with all vehicles. They will have also have a record of the vehicle for other places where it will be more convenient as some of them can obtain details etc about the owner of the vehicle and trace then the vehicle. This all came out in a recent court case where friends was a witnesses. There is now quite a few syndicates.

Senior Member

If you've worked your butt off to attain something and someone tries to take it off you then the answer is yes, it does make it right to look after your own stuff. Or any other persons things for that matter. Thugs need to be dealt with.

As far as using the U.S as an example I agree they're probably not the best example.